Improve public health to control Ebola

Doctors seeking source of virus

March 10, 1996
Web posted at: 2:00 p.m. EST (1900 GMT)

From Correspondent Gary Streiker

KINSHASHA, Zaire (CNN) -- At an international conference on
Ebola hosted by Zaire last week, increasing the quality of
public health emerged as one of the keys to containing and
eradicating the deadly virus.

The virus attacks internal organs and triggers massive
bleeding. It is spread by direct contact with infected blood
or other bodily secretions and kills 80 percent of those
infected. There is no known cause or cure.

The only known method of protecting against Ebola is quick
containment. Until scientists can pinpoint where the virus
originates in nature, containing Ebola immediately is the key
to preventing a worldwide epidemic.

"When you miss the first wave of an epidemic, there's a great
danger it can spread rapidly throughout the world," according
to Dr. David Satcher from the Centers for Disease Control in
Atlanta.

Since the disease spreads so quickly, it is essential for
industrialized nations such as the United States to join in
the fight against Ebola. The conference focused on improving
public health policies, to better equip health officials to
control the spread of the disease.

Necessary changes in the existing system include better
hygiene and protective methods for medical personnel. A
problem and contributing factor in past outbreaks has been a
lack of available resources -- such as sterile gloves and a
quick, reliable method of identifying diseases.

In the last epidemic in Kikwit, Zaire, the infection
apparently occurred in January, but the disease was not
identified as Ebola until samples sent to the United States
five months later were tested for the virus.

Earlier detection is essential to curbing the disease.

"Every country needs to have a certain ability to identify an
infectious disease organism and get that sample of blood or
skin to the lab that can make the definite diagnosis
possible," Satcher said. (168K AIFF sound or
168K WAV sound)

Unfortunately, these conditions are slow to arrive. Since
last year's outbreak, few changes have been made in hospital
infrastructure, and the staff is no closer to finding a cure
or a quick identification protocol.

While hospital administrators work toward better awareness
and policy for human containment, scientists struggle to stop
the disease in its natural habitat -- the most effective
method of abolishing Ebola.

Once the method of transmission between animals to humans is
known, doctors can work on eliminating the transfer.

"We could then take measures to ensure transmission didn't
occur from nature to man -- and once that's done the
epidemics will not occur," said Dr. David Heymann of the
World Health Organization.

Until the methods of transmission are known, scientists and
doctors from around the world work toward improved methods of
containment.